WhatsApp Interactive Messages

WhatsApp Business API is always on the lookout to ensure better communication between a brand and its user making it more convenient, interactive and engaging. WhatsApp has two new interactive messaging features to take your seamless communications one step higher with List messages and Reply buttons.

For quite a long time, brands had an access to send only text-based numbered listed for communication via WhatsApp Business API. But these WhatsApp Interactive Messages provide your users a simpler way to navigate the options in messages which is required from your business on WhatsApp.

Advantage of WhatsApp Interactive Messages

WhatsApp Interactive Messages allows the users to quickly select their choices and interact to make the business communications even richer which significantly achieves higher response rates and conversions than those that are only text-based.

What are List Messages and Reply Buttons?

As mentioned above, WhatsApp Interactive Messages has gained its popularity through List Messages and Reply Buttons by taking the communication to the top-notch level. It provides a more consistent and simpler format for people to find and select what they want when conversing with a business’s chatbot on WhatsApp API.

WhatsApp List Messages

List Messages on WhatsApp is a structured message which includes up to 10 options, or where additional context is required per option.  This type of message is expected to work well for many use cases with its multiple menu items and product choices. The users can also make a selection when interacting with your WhatsApp Business Chatbot.

It offers a great way to offer your clients an overview of their choices. For example, they can be used to offer alternatives in a quick and efficient manner like

• FAQ or customer care menu
• Booking appointments for any business-like requiring appointments for clinics, hairdressers, reservations, etc.
• Handling user queries regarding selection of nearby stores or locations especially for businesses with multiple outlets
• Providing choice of food menus or a take-out menu for restaurants
• Mentioning the delivery time for last-mile logistics companies 
• Choosing a recent order to repeat

Reply Buttons

Reply Buttons is a structured message including up to 3 options where users can make a selection in just one-tap. It has features for users where they can expect a quicker response to make a selection from a menu when they are interacting with a business such as Yes/No answers, or selection of previously saved addresses on choosing a delivery address or picking up a slot for an appointment on WhatsApp Ecommerce.

These are best for quicker responses from the limited set of options that include:

• Airtime recharge
• Choosing the mode of payment
• Changing the personal details
• Adding optional extras for ordering food
• Reordering a previous order
• Requesting for a return

Contrary to popular belief, WhatsApp list messages are not template messages because these messages neither require templates nor are pre-approved by WhatsApp. Particularly Reply Buttons are valuable for ‘personalized’ use cases with no adequate generic response.

Things that are essential to always keep in mind:

While the brands get these exciting times while using WhatsApp Interactive Messages, there are also few things that they should keep in mind when deploying these 

1. Interactive messages in the same flow can be combined together.
2. Users cannot choose more than one option at the same time from a WhatsApp list or Reply button message, but they can go back and retrieve by re-opening a previous message.
3. In WhatsApp interactive Messages, List or reply button messages can never be used as notifications. In the current scenario, they can only be sent within 24 hours of the last message which is sent by the user. If you attempt to send a message outside the 24-hour window, surely you will get an error message.
4. Supported platforms include iOS, Android, and web.

Read also WhatsApp Business Solution